Massimiliano Allegri Quotes

When you play eleven a side, you might go through a game with very few touches, but with street football, you're always involved in the game, so it is a great way to improve your skill and to learn how to create and use space, as the pitch is very small.

A few goals is the way soccer is meant to be played.

I have to open the game from my position. It's really important to play with the ball.

English footballers are honest - they will run for 90-odd minutes - but that is not always what you need. Sometimes you need to rein back a bit and try and control the game with your passing.

I think, as a midfielder, you need to have that aggression as part of your game.

You have to take care of the ball to win football games.

Football is not about suffering. It's about enjoyment. Control the ball, be friendly with it, try to attack, try to score goals. Of course defending is part of it, but you can defend in a lot of ways.

I learned a lot in the Bundesliga, just playing with these very physical players, playing quickly.

Normally, midfielders only pass the ball, but I dribble as well.

One of my friends, Bruno Andrade, was so quick, he just used to knock the ball past whoever he was playing against, and I thought, 'Why can't I do that?' Until then, I would try to dribble and maybe try a stepover, but Andre would just knock it then - beep, beep - and he was so fast, he would get there first.

Spalletti made a difference for me. He gives great importance to the details and, at minimum, wants the goalkeeper to know how to play with the ball at his feet.

Striker is my favourite position, but once I get on the pitch, whether it's out on the wing or in the middle, I just want to enjoy my football and try and produce as good a performance as possible.

Sometimes in midfield, it's nice because you do get a little bit more of the ball, and maybe out wide you rely on people to get you the ball.

If I have the ball in my hands, I'll make a play. If don't, I'll try to get in position to make a play. I think that's what it comes down to.

The main thing is I've tried to get better at everything - that includes the attacking side, being a threat, and taking people on.

I like to control the ball and analyse the game.

I like to play wide, but as a youth, I played more in the middle as a 10.

Carrying the ball is one of the strongest points in my game and I like to be a danger on the pitch.

Normally, I play in midfield where I'm challenging the players and trying to take the ball.

The pitch is the most important material for a football player.

In Spain, you get seven clear chances a game to receive the ball and shoot. In Italy, you get very few clear balls, and you have to fight everyone to score; that makes you improve and develop.

The most important thing to me is how hard we go after the ball and take care of it.

You have to win on the ball.

For me, good football is not about how many skills you show or how many players you beat. It's about making the right decision every time you have the ball.

Salzburg improved me as a player, and I learnt so much there. I got a really tactical education.